


with a heart like that, you deserve the world

by Rooraism



Category: Downton Abbey
Genre: Fluff, the summary is bad but it has the basic idea behind the story
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-03
Updated: 2020-01-03
Packaged: 2021-02-27 08:15:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,780
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22103929
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rooraism/pseuds/Rooraism
Summary: Richard and Phyllis telling Thomas how wonderful he is
Relationships: Thomas Barrow/Richard Ellis
Comments: 3
Kudos: 66





	with a heart like that, you deserve the world

**Author's Note:**

> Not the most pleased with this story, but decided to publish it anyway, since couldn't make it work any better. All mistakes are mine.

With a heart like that, you deserve the world

The whole day, Thomas felt like he had been working under a fog. Since the morning, he had felt very sad and unsure of himself without any real reason. Getting out of the bed had taken most of the energy he had saved for the day. It had been a quite while since Thomas' had had this kind of day, and he had already hoped they would never return, but naturally he was wrong, like always. It couldn't have chosen a worse day, since today he would also meet Richard again after four long months. 

Thomas had just sat down on his chair, when Andy knocked onto his door.

”Your lover is outside” 

Thomas gave Andy an unimpressed look.

”He is your lover, isn't he?” Andy answered to Thomas' look. Before Thomas could give Andy a lecture of how he should not go around saying things like that, Daisy called Andy to the kitchen. Despite his low energy levels, Thomas got up quickly to move towards the backdoor. He was really happy being able to see Richard again, and didn't want to keep the other man waiting in the cold. 

”Well here you are. Thought you might have had forgotten me” Richard said grinning when Thomas opened the door to the outside. Just seeing Richard there lifted Thomas' mood straight away.

As much as Thomas wanted to bring Richard against his chest and feel the other man close to him, he kept himself checked and settled to lightly touching Richard's hand. 

”Never” Thomas smiled, pulling Richard inside and closing the door, not wanting to let unnecessary cold air in. Thomas took Richard's jacket and hat, gently pushing the other man inside his office.

Thomas had barely hung Richard's jacket on the rack before he was pulled against warm chest of Richard's, two hands sneaking around his waist. 

”I missed you” Richard said against Thomas' neck, planting small kisses at the same time. Thomas could not stop the smile rising.Turning around in Richard's arms, Thomas pulled Richard down to the kiss. Oh how had he missed this. He never would have guessed how much one can miss other person. Now all those poems made sense to Thomas. He would do anything to be able to have this every day of his life. 

After a while, what felt way too soon for Thomas, Richard pulled away, hugging Thomas back against his chest. 

”I want to ask you something. If you feel like this is too soon, do not hesitate to say no. I'm not going be angry..” Richard started shyly, totally opposite of his usual style. Thomas wasn't sure what to expect.

”You're not proposing to me, are you?” Thomas said, joking.

”No, unless you want me to?” Richard answered cheekily, the real question forgotten. Thomas stood silently in Richard's arms for a second, before answering. He wasn't sure what to answer, without risking of revealing too much of his heart.

”Sure, but you better have grander idea for it than this” Thomas could feel Richard smiling against his neck.

”Don't worry, I have big ideas ready to be executed” Richard laughed, releasing Thomas from his arms. Soon the small frown returned to Richard's face. 

”The real question, that I wanted to ask, was related to my parents. I might have told them I have found someone I fancy, don't worry, they don't know your name, and now they sort of wish to meet you. I thought maybe we could go see them next time I'm around here” Richard asked quietly, unsure of Thomas' reaction. 

Thomas didn't know what to answer. In few seconds, Thomas' mind had filled with all the possible reasons why they would not like him. He could feel the panic rising. 

”Am I really worthy of showing off to parents? What if you get bored of me before next time” was all Thomas' could ask. He really wasn't anything great. Richard had said that his parents were okay with him, but who knew, maybe they still hoped he would bring back a woman. 

Thomas overriding mind was stopped by two hands lifting Thomas' hands against Richard's lips, pressing a small kiss against his fingers. How long had Richard hold Thomas' hands, he wasn't sure. He and his mind were thankful for the distraction.

”What a stupid questions those are. If only I could show you my heart and how full it is of my love for you. I'm more worried about you getting bored of me, with all the handsome men around here.” Richard tried his best to calm his lover down. 

”No way I could ever get bored of you. I might be often tired, but never tired of you. And there maybe handsome men here, but nobody is more handsome than you to me.” Thomas didn't know how Richard could even think Thomas ever finding someone better. 

”Well that is exactly how I feel about you.” Richard smiled, still holding Thomas' hands in his own.

Thomas let out a breath. 

”I'm sorry. It's just been tough day, and my mood hasn't been the best” Thomas explained the best he could his emotions. Richard's smile dropped, and once again Thomas was being hugged. He couldn't remember the last time he had had this many warm hugs in such a sort amount of time. The thought alone made Thomas feel teary-eyed. 

”No need to be sorry. I understand. I'm just glad you trust me enough to tell me you are feeling bad, and what you are thinking” Richard answered, keeping his head resting against Thomas' shoulder. 

Thomas couldn't help but tighten his hold of Richard, wanting the other man feel all the love he felt currently towards him. 

”No need to answer today. Let me know in the letter. And as I said, I take a no as an answer.” Richard assured Thomas. Thomas nodded, before letting Richard go, opening the door and calling Daisy to bring them some tea. 

”Well, now that we have gotten bad things out of the way, lets talk about more important things, like has Mr. Miller been sick this week, giving you some actual work to do?”

**PHYLLIS' POV**

Few hours later, Phyllis heard the door open behind her, before hearing the earlier laughter a lot clearer and closer. 

”Goodbye Mrs. Baxter” Mr. Ellis said.

”Goodbye, hopefully we see you soon again” Phyllis answered, smile blooming to her face, seeing Thomas holding slightly other man's hand. 

Mr. Ellis nodded, agreeing, before turning around, pulling Thomas after him to the outside. 

Phyllis had time to refill her cup of tea before Thomas returned, sitting beside her. Without Thomas asking, Phyllis picked up the teapot and filled a cup for Thomas. Thomas thanked, smile not dying for a second on his face.

”Well, everything seems to be going well between you and Mr. Ellis then” Phyllis said, smiling to now blushing Thomas. All she got as an answer was a shy nod. 

”That's good. I'm really happy for you.”

”I don't think I have ever been this happy” Thomas admitted after a while. Phyllis couldn't stop grinning. Before she could do anything stupid, like hug Thomas, she saw the smile drop from Thomas' face and frown take it place.

”What's wrong?” Phyllis couldn't help but ask. Since the accident few years back, she couldn't help but be worried every time she saw Thomas looking sad.

”What if he gets bored of me? I have nothing special to offer.” 

Phyllis laid her hand on top of Thomas' before slightly squeezing his hand. 

”I don't even need to tell you how wrong you are. He is absolutely smitten with you. And I'm sure he would tell you the same thing as I if you asked.”

”I did tell him, and he told me exactly the same thing” the earlier smile slowly returned to Thomas' face, making Phyllis feel more at ease straight away. 

Before Phyllis could return to sipping her last few drops of the tea she had left, Thomas took Phyllis' leaving hand back to his own.

Now, on his face, these was a terrified look instead of a sad one. Before talking, Thomas took a quick look around, making sure nobody was around to hear what he was about to say. Phyllis couldn't help feeling sad for Thomas, for having to take these measures to keep himself safe.

”Richard asked if possibly next time he comes around here, I would go to meet his parents to York. What am I supposed to do, when meeting parents? I have nothing amazing to tell, what if they don't like me. I never believed I would ever be in a position where I would have to meet the parents” Thomas spoke anxiously, unknowingly squeezing Phyllis' hand hard. 

Slowly Phyllis removed Thomas' hand around her wrist, taking it to back to hers. 

”Who could not like you?” 

”Basically everyone here before”

”That was before. And Mr. Ellis' parents know nothing about that. To them you are a man who loves their son. I'm sure they like you. And you have amazing things to tell about you. You are a very young butler in a quite big house, you were a medic in the war, then after run a hospital. You are very good at sports, and you are not stupid. That's is a lot longer list of good things compared to many other people in this world” Phyllis tried her best to give Thomas the support he needed. 

”You know, I tell you a secret.” Phyllis then said, before Thomas could answer anything.

”I was absolutely terrified when Mr. Molesley asked me to meet his father. I felt the same way you did. That somehow he would not like me, maybe he had heard my prison sentence. But he was awfully nice to me, so happy that his son had found finally found someone to love” Phyllis smiled, thinking back at her meeting with Mr. Molesley's father. 

”I'm sure that is exactly how Mr. Ellis' parents feel like” She let go of Thomas hand, and finally drank her now cold tea before getting up. 

Thomas still sat silently at end of the table, staring at his tea. Phyllis shook her head, walked behind Thomas, gave his shoulder a quick squeeze and started her journey upstairs, towards her bedroom. 

”You should finish here and go to bed. We have long day tomorrow.” She saw Thomas nod, drinking his tea and returning to his office, leaving smiling Phyllis standing on the stairs. Phyllis had never been more sure about anything than that Mr. Ellis' parents would love Thomas. 

Who wouldn't?


End file.
